Homegrown sustainability code under development
staff writer | Monday June 22, 2026 06:00
The revelation emerged at the inaugural Northern Mining Summit, held in Letlhakane recently under the theme “Unlocking Northern Botswana’s Mining Potential for Sustainable Growth”.
Debswana Orapa Letlhakane and Damtshaa general manager, Mogakolodi Maoketsa, said work was ongoing on the initiative.
“As Debswana we have recognised once again that there is a need to develop a localised and harmonised approach to social sustainability and ESG and move away from being dependent on other stakeholders for their standards and assessment of what is best practice for us,” he said at the Summit. “Therefore, we have taken it upon ourselves in partnership with Botswana Chamber of Mines, Botswana Bureau of Standards and Botswana Qualifications Authority to develop the Botswana Social Sustainability Standard that aims to enhance local expertise to compete at a global level on sustainability issues while also meeting the needs of a wide range of stakeholders and driving improved impact on responsible mining.”
Most of the country’s mines subscribe to global Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) standards, used by investors, lenders, regulators and companies to assess how sustainably and responsibly businesses operate, beyond their financial performance.
Many of the mines are supportive of government’s drive under the Integrated Resource Plan to increase the contribution of renewable energy to the energy mix from a target 30% to 50% by 2030. The mines are also amongst the largest developers of renewable energy capacity in the country, with government last year securing global authorisation to issue International Renewable Energy Certificates.
The authority to issue international renewable energy certificates helps a country monetise renewable generation, attract investment, support ESG reporting and strengthen its transition to a low-carbon economy.
Maoketsa said Debswana had recently launched its own, more refined launched Debswana ESG Strategy.
“Through this sharper ESG strategy that is more responsive, this will help Debswana respond to market pressures, national priorities and long-term business resilience, particularly as the natural diamond markets increasingly expect responsible, traceable and climate-conscious products while locally, Batswana, our shareholders and our communities expect broader prosperity, greener growth and credible impact,” he said.
Giving the keynote address, Transport and Infrastructure assistant minister, Keoagile Atamelang, said the country’s future lies in strategic collaboration.
“Government alone cannot deliver sustainable infrastructure transformation without strong partnerships with mining companies, financial institutions, development agencies, regional partners, and communities. “Likewise, the mining sector cannot thrive without coordinated infrastructure planning and long-term regional cooperation,” he said.
Dineo Seleke, one of the Summit’s organisers, said the event was envisioned as a platform to reposition mining beyond extraction and to recognise it as a catalyst.
“We gather here at a time when Botswana is called upon to rethink sustainable mining practices. “Mining cannot only be about what is extracted from the ground. “It must also be about what remains in the hands of our people after the minerals are gone,” she said.